Sunday, January 25, 2015

Weekly Homework Packets

Hi, everyone! I just wanted to discuss an interesting method of collecting homework that I think I may adopt. Instead of being swamped with papers and worksheets on a daily basis, some teachers have opted for what some consider a simpler choice: weekly homework packets.A few reasons I like the idea:

As mentioned, it decreases the amount of loose homework papers collected. The amount of homework doesn't change, but it's much easier to collect and keep track of one packet from each student once a week than several sheets each day. Homework packets are typically handed out on Monday and expected back by Friday, although there are variations of this.

Students can work at their own pace. If they want to work ahead, they can. If they skip a day, they can as long as it's all completed by the end of the week. If they want to not do homework all week until Thursday night before turning it in, they can but will hopefully soon realize this is not the best idea. This is a useful took for students to learn time management. When you think about it, upper-grade classes in middle school and high school often already operate this way. It's certainly the standard in college. Why not start teaching them this work management skill earlier?

Families often appreciate the freedom this method affords. Kids can have practice on Monday afternoons or Bible study on Wednesday evenings without having to stay up nightly to do homework due the next day. They can adjust how much homework they do to fit their schedules a little easier.

Of course, there are some drawbacks:

Students only get one shot to turn in their homework when it's due. If they forget it at home, they've left home a week's worth of work instead of just one day's work. That can lead to other complications when it comes to grading, consequences for missed work, etc.

How do you feel about weekly homework packets? I think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks and will definitely be testing this method out!